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Post by ssolny on Feb 13, 2016 5:51:06 GMT -5
Hi all!
Sorry if this issue has already been discussed but i couldn't find it by search.
How can I make object which will be visible in build/buy mode and invisible in live mode? Like a "natural light" (not sure how it in English) from buydebug?
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Post by Deleted on Feb 13, 2016 12:06:43 GMT -5
I think it has something to do with the fade distance. I'm not sure, you could make a clone of the debug light and ether compare all data or use it as your base and replace it with your mesh.
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Post by ssolny on Mar 24, 2016 16:31:51 GMT -5
Hi all again! Return to my old question: I found this tut sims4studio.com/thread/1052/make-object-fade and I compared the "natural light" ceiling lamp with other objects. No luck =( It has the same options in fade distance section like most other objects. So I still think it has some kind of special flag for being invisible in live mod. But no idea which section can contains it. Any advice, ideas, suggestions or mb even rumors? |
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Post by j on Mar 25, 2016 5:42:34 GMT -5
What is it that you're trying to create exactly? If it's a variation of an invisible light, you'll need to remember that you cannot change colour/intensity of invisible lights since in TS4 it is done in Live Mode (as opposed to TS3 where it was done in Buy Mode), and with them going invisible in Live Mode...you get the idea. Unless of course changing the colour/intensity isn't a concern for you.
If what you really want is an "invisible" object you could simply make the texture transparent via the alpha channel, or decrease the mesh to the size of a pin. I'd be of more help if I knew what you're trying to make.
For instance I made an "invisible" dancefloor for my personal use. I just cloned off of the regular dance floor and reduced the mesh to a tiny square (since I need something tangible to click in Live Mode to use it, and in Buy Mode to be able to move it).
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Post by ssolny on Mar 25, 2016 6:29:59 GMT -5
Hi j!
I thought about objects like omsp or invisible fence etc. If objects was made with transparent texture it can be really uncomfortable to find that again when you want to edit a lot.
Ability to make it visible in build/buy mode and invisible in live would save a lot of nerves against tries to grab invisible object at decorated lot, or tries to hide any marks inside other objects.
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Post by j on Mar 25, 2016 6:46:54 GMT -5
Hmm yeah, I understand. Well, I know that there have been people who have released "fog emitters" for TS4. Not necessarily the same kind as in TS3, but objects that act as spawners for insects. I've never used them but I imagine they act how you've described, by turning invisible in Live Mode. Can't say I know much about the logistics, unfortunately, but it seems possible.
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Post by ssolny on Mar 27, 2016 14:13:59 GMT -5
It is indeed possible. All I want is to understand HOW? =)
I've looked at that spawner object at MTS, seems it hasn't any mesh by itself, only animated insects.
Grrr! I start to hate that stupid Natural light! Even if I make it buyable by changing DevCategoryFlags it stops to vanish in live mode. >:D
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Post by cowplantscake on May 9, 2021 15:05:50 GMT -5
I'm very sorry for reviving this thread and I often see people making invisible objects with transparency and can't find anything more about it, so, I've found how and wanted to share. Short answer: Go to Werehouse>Object Catalog>DevCategoryFlags and change to 000000C0 Long answer: I've found that apparently, DevCategoryFlags follow a similar rule to ExcludePartFlags (that hide CAS stuff), it's possible to convert the hexadecimal in binary. Here you can see 00000080 and 00000090, numbers that used there will change if you need bb.showhiddenobjects or not, and 000000D0, a number used by special lights from the game that disappear at live mode.  Each number "1" represent a switch that activate something. - The first 1 (10000000) seems to be in all of them and allow the object to show up. It seems to be used in every object. - The Second 1 (01000000) stop objects from being rendered in live mode - The fourth 1 (00010000) hide objects and only appearing with bb.showhiddenobjects(debug). - The fifth 1 (00001000) hide objects even for debug, usually town objects. - The last 3 (00000111) seems to hide "even more" but I have no idea how to test it since I can't see anything. Aparently some objects (Dare to Étagère for example) also use the code 000000B0(10110000) which have a third 1 (00100000) and the fourth 1 (00010000, that supposedly would set as a debug object) that show up normally, so maybe it's a code to disable the debug code? which seems very useless... anyway, in the end, you just need to set the "1" you need and convert it back to hexadecimal(you can do it with a random online converter) example: set for 'hide from live mode' and 'set as debug': 11010000 > 000000d0, or 'hide for live mode' and 'show normally': 11000000 > 000000c0 Note: hidding an object from live mode will just cause it to stop being rendered, along with effects and shadows, keeping it's light, colision and functions. Tried to keep the effects but it just don't show up with any combination. "invisible" objects with effects (like the insects from the camping place) seems to be just a very small object with it. |
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Post by Cidira on May 9, 2021 16:20:42 GMT -5
cowplantscake I love you a lot right now. Not as much as I would love you if this trick had solved all three of the problems I've been having with my invisible stuff, but it did solve one of them, and I had completely run out of ideas for fixing it. Actually, I realized on further testing that I'd figured out a way to solve that one myself and promptly forgotten I did it, BUT then I tested some more and figured out that your method also solved it, and is probably a better solution. I suspect the reason it didn't solve my other two problems is because, although they do both have DevCategoryFlags in their equivalent resources, neither of those items has an Object Catalog, and they may use slightly different flags or may simply not have any flag for 'don't render in live mode'.
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Post by Fwecka (Lolabellesims) on May 9, 2021 19:04:36 GMT -5
cowplantscake , would this work for the ice rink I made that has an invisible swatch? Because I've been changing the shaders and eliminating the shadow and snow effects. I've been carefully writing a tutorial for this, too, but now I'm wondering if your method is better. Of course, I could test this out for myself but that would involve actual work. :P
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Post by cowplantscake on May 9, 2021 23:51:13 GMT -5
cowplantscake I love you a lot right now. Not as much as I would love you if this trick had solved all three of the problems I've been having with my invisible stuff, but it did solve one of them, and I had completely run out of ideas for fixing it. Actually, I realized on further testing that I'd figured out a way to solve that one myself and promptly forgotten I did it, BUT then I tested some more and figured out that your method also solved it, and is probably a better solution. I suspect the reason it didn't solve my other two problems is because, although they do both have DevCategoryFlags in their equivalent resources, neither of those items has an Object Catalog, and they may use slightly different flags or may simply not have any flag for 'don't render in live mode'. What type of object don't have a object catalog? It's literally the file that control name, description, price and everything else... BTW, if you find a way to show special effects with that, please tell me, I still want to make an invisible object that are a portal made of magic sparkles...
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Post by cowplantscake on May 10, 2021 0:17:57 GMT -5
cowplantscake , would this work for the ice rink I'm making that has an invisible swatch? Because I've been changing the shaders and eliminating the shadow and snow effects. I've been carefully writing a tutorial for this, too, but now I'm wondering if your method is better. Of course, I could test this out for myself but that would involve actual work. :P I think that would work for hidding, yes, messing with shader is always a problem since all shaders still have some config with them. Problem is that you can't interact with the object directly, for example, I'm updating my Simple Portal mod where one of them will be invisible, my sim does use it by himself but I can't click on it to do anything because it literally don't appear there and it seems to be the same for all other stuff. So... For autonomous stuff it may be good but not sure for interactible objects.
If you really want to do by shader, it's possible if you go into the "model" in wherehouse and delete all "shadow", this will force the game to use the actual object as shadow(it can be a problem in some shaders, for example, PhongForGlass don't cast shadow, but it follow rules, like if one swatch have diferent transparecy, the shadows will follow that object transparency, like a plant with different types of leaves), after that just put a transparent texture (keep it in the same resolution as the others to not glitch) and your object will be transparent. If the mesh don't have transparency, you may need to add an alpha texture and stuff like that in the shader config but nothing too hard. Testing this stuff is boring and hard for sure, I've been working in that stuff all my sunday... but it's good to actually learn.
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Post by Fwecka (Lolabellesims) on May 10, 2021 2:29:51 GMT -5
I've made some OMSPs and the rink with an invisible swatch (haven't uploaded yet, but I will sometime in the next thousand years though), and I have been able to interact with both custom content items while they are invisible. For the OMSP, I deleted the shadow resources and the shadow meshes and changed the shader of the invisible swatch to PhongAlpha. I made the alpha of the invisible swatch 100% black. For the rink, I had to do a little more. I had to do all of the above, plus uncheck ShadowCaster in the PhongAlpha entry, make the snow map texture 100% black, change SnowDisallowed from 0 to 1 for all mesh groups (there are three), and change the shaders of two of the three mesh groups from Phong to PhongAlpha (the window mesh group is already PhongAlpha). This results in an item that has one visible swatch and one invisible and the object can be interacted with while it's invisible.
Removing everything related to shadows means the item doesn't cast shadows when it's invisible but it also means it won't cast shadows in live mode, either.
On second thought, maybe your method would only work if I did not want a swatch that is visible in live mode.
Still, your information is definitely going into my library of Useful Things to Know. Thank you for sharing. Much appreciated!
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Post by Cidira on May 10, 2021 7:52:27 GMT -5
cowplantscake I love you a lot right now. Not as much as I would love you if this trick had solved all three of the problems I've been having with my invisible stuff, but it did solve one of them, and I had completely run out of ideas for fixing it. Actually, I realized on further testing that I'd figured out a way to solve that one myself and promptly forgotten I did it, BUT then I tested some more and figured out that your method also solved it, and is probably a better solution. I suspect the reason it didn't solve my other two problems is because, although they do both have DevCategoryFlags in their equivalent resources, neither of those items has an Object Catalog, and they may use slightly different flags or may simply not have any flag for 'don't render in live mode'. What type of object don't have a object catalog? It's literally the file that control name, description, price and everything else... BTW, if you find a way to show special effects with that, please tell me, I still want to make an invisible object that are a portal made of magic sparkles...
There are many Build Mode items that don't have an Object Catalog resource. In this case, it's a roof pattern and a roof trim I'm working with. Your best bet for the invisible portal is probably to make it invisible, or near-invisible, without using this method -- just actually make the texture transparent, or leave only a tiny visible element. Yes, it'll be harder for people to manipulate in Build Mode because it won't suddenly be a big fully visible object... but it'll work. |
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Post by cowplantscake on May 10, 2021 8:03:43 GMT -5
I've made some OMSPs and the rink with an invisible swatch (haven't uploaded yet, but I will sometime in the next thousand years though), and I have been able to interact with both custom content items while they are invisible. For the OMSP, I deleted the shadow resources and the shadow meshes and changed the shader of the invisible swatch to PhongAlpha. I made the alpha of the invisible swatch 100% black. For the rink, I had to do a little more. I had to do all of the above, plus uncheck ShadowCaster in the PhongAlpha entry, make the snow map texture 100% black, change SnowDisallowed from 0 to 1 for all mesh groups (there are three), and change the shaders of two of the three mesh groups from Phong to PhongAlpha (the window mesh group is already PhongAlpha). This results in an item that has one visible swatch and one invisible and the object can be interacted with while it's invisible. Removing everything related to shadows means the item doesn't cast shadows when it's invisible but it also means it won't cast shadows in live mode, either. On second thought, maybe your method would only work if I did not want a swatch that is visible in live mode. Still, your information is definitely going into my library of Useful Things to Know. Thank you for sharing. Much appreciated! Damn, that's a lot of work... I remember doing stuff like this to copy a shader used by a dlc object in a base game object until I discovered that I could just import the model file over the other... Anyway, do your metod is easy to select in build mode? I still wanted to make an invisible object that show particles and my metod hide it... (it is still played in the background btw) |
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